What can we say? Spadavecchia, at right, has been around for awhile. He’s respected by his peers. He’s been on the tournament scene since 1988. He has a WSOP bracelet (deuce-to-seven draw, zzzzzz). Finished third in the WSOP ME in 1994. Seems like a pretty normal guy. It’s kind of like if a neighbor you vaguely knew, but like well enough because he waves when you drive by and takes care of his front yard, won.

No funny headlines like David Williams Wins H.O.R.S.E., Is Hung Like One Too for this. No Goehring, Goehring, Gone! Nothing. Nada. Bupkis.

We’re sure Spadavecchia has had some hardships to overcome in winning this title, so let’s focus on that.

Spadavecchia has had many hardships to overcome in winning this title. But proving his mettle and his sheer strength of will, he managed to overcome those hardships and finally leave a lasting impression on the poker world. A peer somewhere in the world of Spadavecchia might’ve said: "I’m so happy for John…wait, it’s John, right? Yeah. I’m so happy for John. He’s overcome so much to win this title. Like that one incident or life event, I think he learned so much from it and it’s motivated and driven him to become a better poker player. You know, he’s just taken what life has thrown at him, both good and bad, and made the best of it. He’s made lemonade from his lemons. I mean, I truly admire him for that."